Simeone Difnico (, , , c. 1613 – 1661) was

bishop of Nin The Diocese of Nin (historically, Nona) was a Catholic jurisdiction probably founded in the middle of the 9th century. Fine, 1991, p. 254Cretan War from 1646 to 1649, and

bishop of Feltre The Italian Catholic diocese of Feltre, in the Veneto existed from 1462 to 1818. It was then united into the diocese of Belluno e Feltre. It had previously had an independent existence, up to 1197.Šibenik Šibenik (), historically known as Sebenico (), is a historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka (Croatia), Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatia, Croatian self-governing cities ...

on 12 September 1613 to the important Divnić family of that town. He graduated in

utroque iure A doctor of both laws, from the Latin , , or ("doctor of both laws") (abbreviations include: JUD, IUD, DUJ, JUDr., DUI, DJU, Dr.iur.utr., Dr.jur.utr., DIU, UJD and UID), is a scholar who has acquired a doctorate in both civil and church law ...

at the

University of Padua The University of Padua (, UNIPD) is an Italian public research university in Padua, Italy. It was founded in 1222 by a group of students and teachers from the University of Bologna, who previously settled in Vicenza; thus, it is the second-oldest ...

on 10 May 1634. The Venetian bishop of

Šibenik Šibenik (), historically known as Sebenico (), is a historic town in Croatia, located in central Dalmatia, where the river Krka (Croatia), Krka flows into the Adriatic Sea. Šibenik is one of the oldest Croatia, Croatian self-governing cities ...

, Alvise Marcello, chose him as general vicar, and later supported him to become

bishop of Nin The Diocese of Nin (historically, Nona) was a Catholic jurisdiction probably founded in the middle of the 9th century. Fine, 1991, p. 254 Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X (6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death, in January 1655. Born in Rome of a family fro ...

. Therefore, on Sunday 17 March 1647 he was consecrated

bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...

in the Venetian church of

Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari The Basilica di Santa Maria Gloriosa dei Frari, commonly abbreviated to ''the Frari'', is a church located in the Campo dei Frari at the heart of the San Polo district of Venice, Italy. It is the largest church in the city and it has the status ...

by the Nuncio in Venice,

Scipione Pannocchieschi d'Elci Scipione Pannocchieschi d’Elci (28 June 1598 – 12 April 1670) was a Catholic cardinal who served as Apostolic Nuncio to the Republic of Venice and as Archbishop of Pisa. Biography Scipione Pannocchieschi d’Elci was born on 28 June 1598 ...

. In Nin Simeone Difnico started to restore the Cathedral and to tried to settle a conflict about

tithe A tithe (; from Old English: ''teogoþa'' "tenth") is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Modern tithes are normally voluntary and paid in money, cash, cheques or v ...

s with the near Diocese of Zadar. His episcopate occurred during the first phase of the

Cretan War (1645–1669) The Cretan War (; ), also known as the War of Candia () or the fifth Ottoman–Venetian war, was a conflict between the Republic of Venice and her allies (chief among them the Knights of Malta, the Papal States and France) against the Ottoman ...

which was fought also in

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; ; ) is a historical region located in modern-day Croatia and Montenegro, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea. Through time it formed part of several historical states, most notably the Roman Empire, the Kingdom of Croatia (925 ...

: the town of Nin was destroyed in 1647 and the population evacuated in the near

Zadar Zadar ( , ), historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian, ; see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited city in Croatia. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ...

, where Simeone succeeded in securing the furnishings and liturgical books.

Bishop of Feltre

On 10 May 1649 Simeone Difnico was appointed

bishop of Feltre The Italian Catholic diocese of Feltre, in the Veneto existed from 1462 to 1818. It was then united into the diocese of Belluno e Feltre. It had previously had an independent existence, up to 1197.Dolomites The Dolomites ( ), also known as the Dolomite Mountains, Dolomite Alps or Dolomitic Alps, are a mountain range in northeastern Italy. They form part of the Southern Limestone Alps and extend from the River Adige in the west to the Piave Va ...

mountains governed by the

Republic of Venice The Republic of Venice, officially the Most Serene Republic of Venice and traditionally known as La Serenissima, was a sovereign state and Maritime republics, maritime republic with its capital in Venice. Founded, according to tradition, in 697 ...

. Because his authoritarian attitude and his love for the pageantry, he was not loved by the local population. He entered in conflict with the local

friar A friar is a member of one of the mendicant orders in the Catholic Church. There are also friars outside of the Catholic Church, such as within the Anglican Communion. The term, first used in the 12th or 13th century, distinguishes the mendi ...

s and nuns, for example in 1649 he forbade the

franciscan friar The Franciscans are a group of related organizations in the Catholic Church, founded or inspired by the Italian saint Francis of Assisi. They include three independent religious orders for men (the Order of Friars Minor being the largest contem ...

s of

Borgo Valsugana Borgo Valsugana (''El Bórgo'' in local dialect) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in Trentino in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about east of Trento. Borgo Valsugana borders the following municipalities: Telve, ...

to confess at Christmas up to next Easter. His main conflicts were however against the local

feudatories A vassal or liege subject is a person regarded as having a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch, in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. While the subordinate party is called a vassal, the dominant party is called a suzerain ...

, who no more recognized the Bishop as own Lord, refusing to pay to the Church the

and on the contrary imposing their taxes. The main of these feudatories was

Ferdinand Charles, Archduke of Austria Ferdinand Charles (17 May 1628 – 30 December 1662) was the Archduke of Further Austria, including Tyrol, from 1646 to 1662. As the son of Archduke Leopold V and Claudia de' Medici, he succeeded his father upon the latter's death in 1632, un ...

. Simeone Difnico appealed to the

Doge of Venice The Doge of Venice ( ) – in Italian, was the doge or highest role of authority within the Republic of Venice (697–1797). The word derives from the Latin , meaning 'leader', and Venetian Italian dialect for 'duke', highest official of the ...

to intervene, but without success. This conflict had a negative impact on the local population: for example, in the argument about who had the right to appoint the parish priest of

Strigno Strigno () is a ''frazione'' of the ''comune'' (municipality) of Castel Ivano, Trentino, in the northern Italian region Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, located about east of Trento Trento ( or ; Ladin language, Ladin and ; ; ; ; ; ), also k ...

, Simone Difnico launched the

interdict In Catholic canon law, an interdict () is an ecclesiastical censure, or ban that prohibits certain persons or groups from participating in particular rites, or that the rites and services of the church are prohibited in certain territories for ...

on that little town, and so no religious ceremonies were there celebrated from 6 January 1650 to 13 February 1652. Simone Difnico used to stay away from his diocese for long periods. After the complaints for this reason, Difnico returned in his diocese residing in the castle of Castellalto near Telve, where he got ill. He moved to

Bassano del Grappa Bassano del Grappa ( or ''Bassan'', ) is a city and ''comune'', in the Province of Vicenza, Vicenza province, in the region of Veneto, in northern Italy. It bounds the communes of Cassola, Marostica, Solagna, Pove del Grappa, Romano d'Ezzelino, Va ...

to look after himself, and there he died on 24 May 1661. He was buried in the local church of ''Beatissima Vergine della Misericordia''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Divnico, Simeone 1613 births 1661 deaths 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in Croatia 17th-century Roman Catholic bishops in the Republic of Venice People from Šibenik